Muscat: Microsoft has introduced Oman’s fast-growing SME segment to Microsoft 365 Business, a multifaceted solution that ushers small business into the modern workplace era by covering all of their productivity, admininstrative and security needs.

Combining Windows 10 Pro and Office 365 with Enterprise Mobility and Security, Microsoft 365 Business is a new solution designed for SMEs, bringing together the productivity and collaboration capabilities with device management and security solutions to safeguard business data, according to a press release.

Oman has a thriving SME sector contributing more than 20 per cent to its gross domestic product (GDP), which employs nearly 40 per cent of the nation’s workforce, and has become a preferred destination for businesses looking to expand their horizons and build their branch network. The country’s improving infrastructure, ease of doing business and environment of untapped opportunities have attracted a range of investors, business owners and entrepreneurs.

“As Oman continues taking its ambitious journey towards economic diversification, its small and medium enterprise sector will continue to play a leading role in that story,” said Mohammed Arif, Regional Director, Microsoft 365 Business Group, Microsoft Gulf. SMEs in this country have a prime opportunity to capitalise on projected growth through the digitally transformative power of Microsoft 365 Business. The solution is purpose-built for growing small and medium businesses to help them to empower their people, safeguard their data and simplify IT management, leaving them with more time and resources to innovate and focus on their core business.”

Microsoft 365 Business is an integrated security, management and productivity solution that allows businesses to protect mission-critical operations, while empowering employees to become mobile and collaborative. Smooth interaction between Office 365, Windows 10 Pro, and Microsoft’s device-management and security tools, creates a truly modern workplace, and also means employees can work whenever, wherever and however they want. And communication and connectivity tools allow meaningful collaboration in real time.

Also added to the offerings is Microsoft StaffHub, a new application that helps first-line workers manage their work day, allowing business owners and employees to easily create and manage schedules, assign and complete tasks, and communicate with one another.

Safeguard

As businesses across the world become increasingly modernised, they also become more vulnerable to data breaches. A recent global survey reveals 43 per cent of cyber-attacks target small businesses, while only 14 per cent of small businesses rate their ability to mitigate cyber-risks, vulnerabilities and attacks as “highly effective.” The report further reveals that 60 per cent of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyber-attack.

Through Microsoft 365 Business, SMEs benefit from best-of-breed malware protection for all their Windows devices, with Windows Defender App Protection for Office and Mobile Device Management for Windows, which protects sensitive data from attacks on employees’ Windows, iOS and Android devices.

“Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of security breaches,” said Arif. “They cannot bounce back from down-time or data theft the way a Fortune-500 company can. That is why Microsoft took care to include some of our most advanced, industry-leading security features in Microsoft 365 Business – so SMEs can concentrate on growth, without worrying about the treacherous cyber-threat landscape.”

Time and cost savings

In addition to security and productivity, Microsoft 365 Business also offers SMEs many time-saving benefits for IT administrative tasks. Through a single console, businesses can quickly set up new employees, configure device security policies, and manage user identity and access, as well as ensure all staff are most up-to-date with versions of Windows 10 and Office. And the single per-user, per-month subscription streamlines costs and simplifies management.

“Microsoft 365 Business was built for our small and midsize customers that may have limited or no IT resources on staff, but still want best-in-class security, productivity and collaboration capabilities,” said Arif. “Microsoft 365 Business works efficiently, always ensuring that systems are secure and up to date, without the need for constant monitoring.”